2 Samuel 10:15-19

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Samuel 10:15-19

Here is, 1. A new attempt of the Syrians to recover their lost honour and to check the progress of David's victorious arms. The forces that were lately dispersed rallied again, and gathered themselves together, 2 Sam. 10:15. Even the baffled cause will make head as long as there is any life in it; the enemies of the Son of David do so, Matt. 22:34; Rev. 19:19. These, being conscious of their insufficiency, called in the aid of their allies and dependencies on the other side of the river (2... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 10:15

And when the Syrians saw that they were smitten before Israel ,.... Considered it in their minds, and conversed with one another about it, and fearing what would be the consequence of it: they gathered themselves together ; not only the forces got together again, that fled before Joab, but all the kings of Syria united their forces together, as appears from 2 Samuel 10:19 ; supposing that David would avenge himself on them for assisting the Ammonites against him; and therefore judged... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 10:16

And Hadarezer sent ,.... The same with Hadadezer, 2 Samuel 8:3 , who was at the head of this confederacy, and to whom the rest of the kings of Syria were servants, 2 Samuel 10:19 , and brought out the Syrians that were beyond the river ; the river Phrat or Euphrates, as the Targum; so the Arabic version and Josephus F25 Ut supra, (Antiqu. l. 7. c. 6.) sect. 3. , who says, that he hired them: and they came to Helam ; which, according to the same writer, was king of the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 10:17

And when it was told David ,.... What preparations the Syrians were making to fight him, and where they were: he gathered all Israel together ; all the fighting men in the country: and passed over Jordan, and came to Helam : which, according to Bunting F2 Travels, &c.; p. 140,141. , was twenty miles from Jerusalem. David seems to have gone himself in person to this war: and the Syrians set themselves in array against David, and fought with him ; they formed themselves... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 10:18

And the Syrians fled before Israel ,.... After an obstinate and bloody fight between them: and David slew the men of seven hundred chariots of the Syrians ; the word "men" is rightly supplied, for chariots could not be said to be slain, but the men in them; in 1 Chronicles 19:17 , they are said to be seven thousand, here seven hundred; which may be reconciled by observing, that here the chariots that held the men are numbered, there the number of the men that were in the chariots... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 10:19

And when all the kings that were servants to Hadarezer ,.... That were subject to him, and at his beck and command, at least were hired by him into his service: saw that they were smitten before Israel ; could not stand their ground against them, being too powerful for them: they made peace with Israel, and served them ; became tributaries to them, whereby the promise of the land of Canaan made to Abraham and his seed, as reaching to the river Euphrates, had its accomplishment, ... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Samuel 10:16

The Syrians that were beyond the river - That is, the Euphrates. Hadarezer - This is the same that was overthrown by David, 2 Samuel 8:3 ; and there called Hadadezer; which is the reading here of about thirty of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS. But the ר resh and ד daleth are easily interchanged. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Samuel 10:17

David - gathered all Israel together - He thought that such a war required his own presence. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Samuel 10:18

Seven Hundred chariots - and forty thousand Horsemen - In the parallel place, 1 Chronicles 19:18 , it is said, David slew of the Syrians Seven Thousand men, which fought in chariots. It is difficult to ascertain the right number in this and similar places. It is very probable that, in former times, the Jews expressed, as they often do now, their numbers, not by words at full length, but by numeral letters; and, as many of the letters bear a great similarity to each other,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Samuel 10:19

Made peace with Israel - They made this peace separately, and were obliged to pay tribute to the Israelites. Some copies of the Vulgate add here after the word Israel, Expaverunt et fugerunt quinquaginta et octo millia coram Israel ; "and they were panic-struck, and fled fifty-eight thousand of them before Israel." This reading is nowhere else to be found. "Thus," observes Dr. Delaney, "the arms of David were blessed; and God accomplished the promises which he had made to Abraham, ... read more

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